University of South Alabama head soccer coach Graham Winkworth announced the hiring of Chris McBride as assistant coach in February.
McBride — who helped North Alabama to 50-21-6 record and three NCAA Division II Tournament appearances the last four years — replaces Keyton Wheelock, who was named head coach at Louisiana-Monroe last month.
"I am delighted to bring Chris on to our staff," Winkworth said. "He is an excellent coach and has a lot of experience that will help us continue our growth. He will primarily work with our keepers but will have a very active part in all areas of the program."
Last fall, McBride worked with Lion goalkeepers who recorded eight shutouts and a 0.75 goals against average as UNA finished the season with a 15-3-2 mark after winning both the Gulf South Conference regular-season and tournament titles. The Lions would end the campaign with their second straight berth in the NCAA Tournament.
"I'd like to thank Coach Winkworth for the opportunity to work at South Alabama," McBride said. "It's a privilege to work for such a successful soccer program that has been established over the last three years. South Alabama is competing against the best soccer teams in the country and putting a great name out there for the program."
The previous fall UNA had a 0.57 goals against average, posting 11 shutouts — including a streak of seven straight — en route to a 14-4-1 finish, with the program advancing to the NCAA Tournament to end the season one year after finishing with a .500 record while ranking third in the league in goals against average. In his first year on the staff, McBride helped the Lions record a 13-6-1 mark that included a 1-0 victory over Valdosta State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament; UNA tied for second in the GSC that year with a league record of 6-2-1, finishing third in the conference with seven shutouts.
McBride is a 2011 graduate of Martin Methodist, serving as team captain twice in a four-year career during which time the RedHawks won one TranSouth Conference regular-season championship and one league tournament title in addition to advancing the quarterfinals of the 2009 NAIA Tournament. As a senior in 2010, McBride — who was selected a TranSouth scholar athlete on three occasions — was named an Academic All-American while receiving both the Tom Read Academic Award for the highest grade-point average by a male student-athlete and the Royce Hughes Physical Education Non-Licensure Award.
Serving as an assistant coach in 2011, he helped MMC to a 14-2-2 overall record as the RedHawks would claim the TranSouth regular-season championship while advancing to the final 16 of the NAIA Tournament.
"Chris is a family man with great values and work ethic," Winkworth added. "He was the perfect fit for what we are trying to do here at South Alabama. Having worked with him before, it will not take long for him to become reaquainted with my style of coaching.
"To use a baseball term, the addition of Chris is a 'home run' for this program."
A native of Prestwick, Scotland, McBride earned his bachelor's degree in physical education with a minor in biology, graduating with magna cum laude honors, and received a master's degree in exercise science from North Alabama in 2013. He holds a Scottish Youth F.A. level "E" and "D" License as well as Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Licenses in Goalkeeping from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, in addition to an NSCAA National Diploma and has also helped coach the Alabama Olympic Development Program.
"I'm not only delighted to be working with Coach Winkworth again, I'm looking forward to working alongside high-quality coaches and excellent soccer players," McBride said. "They've had a tremendous amount of success here and I'm hoping I can help the coaches and the players to achieve even more success over the next few years. Next year's schedule is really going to challange the team and I'm excited to be a part of the team that's competing for a national championship every year. The program is getting better and better every year and I can't wait to get started."
He joins a program that finished 18-3-2 in the fall after earning its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, and has advanced to the NCAA postseason each of the last three seasons.
Chris and his wife, Sally, have a son, Aidan.
